Collapsible clothes basket



. May 13, 1958 .1. TROJAN COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHES BASKET Filed May 11. 1955 9; INVENTOR. J9 BY 5 2,834,502 COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHES BASKET Jean Trojan, Wyandotte, Mich. Application May 11, 1955, Serial No. 507,574 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-8) This invention relates to baskets and, in particular, to collapsible clothes baskets.

One object of this invention is to provide a collapsible clothes basket which in its extended position has a capacity equal to that of conventional rigid clothes baskets yet which can be collapsed into but a fraction of the spacewhich it previously occupied, so that it can be stored in a very small space.

Another object is to provide a collapsible clothes basket of the foregoing character having multiple tapered nesting sections which, when drawn upward, engage one another at their adjacent edges and are frictionally selfsustaining in their extended positions.

Another object is to provide a collapsible clothes basket which is equipped with a clamping device for holding the various sections thereof in their collapsed position for convenience of shipment or storage.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a collapsible clothes basket according to one form of the invention, shown in its extended position;

Figure 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section taken along the line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a central longitudinal section through the collapsible clothes basket of Figures 1 and 2, taken along the same section line 22 of Figure 1, but showing the clothes basket in its collapsed and clamped position;

Figure 4 is a central vertical cross-section taken along the line 44 in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the clamping bar by which the various sections of the clothes basket are retained in their collapsed positions; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary end elevation of the collapsible clothes basket, showing a modified handle construction.

Referring to the drawing in detail, Figures 1 and 2 show a collapsible clothes basket, generally designated 10, according to one form of the invention, as mounted in and upon a shallow elongated cupped casing, generally designated 12, having a bottom 14 of race-track-shaped outline from which an upwardly-flared or outwardly-tapered side wall 16 rises. The side wall 16 at its opposite ends is provided with notches 18 for receiving the blocks or brackets 20 of handles 22 when the clothes basket is in its collapsed position (Figure 3). Mounted upon and secured to the bottom 14 wood or other suitable material and of the same racetrack-shaped outline as the casing 12.

Secured as at 26 to the opposite ends of the base 24 is the lowermost section 28 of consecutively enlarged upwardly and outwardly flared nesting and mating sections 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38 respectively adapted to telescope relatively to one another, the handle blocks or brackets 20 being secured to the uppermost section 38 at the opposite ends thereof. The basket sidewall sections States I Patent" 0 of the casing 12 is a base 24 of 28 to 38 inclusive are also of race-track-shaped outline With the bottom edges 40, 42, 44, 46, 48 and 50 respectively thereof of slightly smaller cross dimensions or diameters than the immediately adjacent top edges 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60 when the sections 28 to 38 inclusive are drawn upward into their extended positions. The bottom edge 40 of the lowermost section 28 is positioned on or near the bottom 14 of the casing 12 adjacent the fasteners 26 by which the section 28 is secured to the base 24, whereas the top edge 62 of the uppermost section 38 is positioned adjacent the tops of the handle blocks 20 of the handles 22. The latter are provided with spaced eyes 64 through which pass elongated loop-shaped swinging hand grips 66.

The casing 12 at its opposite sides on its short diameter (Figure 4) is provided with outwardly-extending bosses 68 which are drilled as at 70 to receive Wing bolts 72 which also pass through holes 74 in a retaining bar 76 and are held in position by wing nuts 78. The various tapered nesting sections 28 to 38 inclusive, as well as the housing 12, are preferably made of a nonferrous metal, such as aluminum or aluminum alloy, in order to be free from rusting or from transmitting that rust to damp clothes placed in the basket 10, as well as to provide lightness of weight.

In the use of the invention, let it be assumed that the various sections 28 to 38 inclusive are in their collapsed or telescoped positions shown inFigures 3- and 4, and that the retaining bar 76 is clamped in position by the wing bolts 72 and nuts 78, and that it is desired to extend these sections so that the basket is in a condition for use as shown in Figures 1 and 2. To convert the basket from its collapsed condition of Figures 3 and 4 to its extended position of Figures 1 and 2, the user removes the wing nuts 78, lifts oif the retaining bar 76, and then preferably replaces the retaining nuts 78 on the wing bolts 72 in order to avoid loss thereof. With the retaining bar 76 removed and therefore releasing the sections 28 to 38 inclusive from their retained engagement therewith, the user grasps the hand grips 66 of the handles 22 and pulls upward upon the uppermost section 38.

When the portion adjacent the lower edge 50 of the uppermost section 38 nears the portion adjacent the top edge 60 of the next succeeding section 36, its lower peripheral inner surface engages the upper peripheral outer surface of the next succeeding section 36 and mates therewith, as shown in Figure 2, halting upon such engagement because of the difference in cross dimensions between these sections 36 and 38. Accordingly, continued upward raising of the uppermost section 38 also causes sequential raising of the next succeeding section 36 until the lower peripheral inner surface thereof engages the upper peripheral outer surface of the next succeeding section 34, causing these also to come into wedging engagement with one another and causin the third section 34 to be sequentially raised, in the same manner.

As a result of the foregoing action, the upper section engages and raises the section immediately below it until all of the sections 28 to 38 inclusive have been raised and wedged into frictional mating engagement with one another, as-shown in Figure 2. When this occurs, the lower edges 42, 44, 46, 48 and 50 reach their levels of closest approach to the upper edges 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60. The basket 10, because of the frictional mating interengagement of its respective sections 28 to 38 inclusive is now in the self-sustaining extended condition shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the basket is ready for use.

To collapse the basket, the user reverses the foregoing procedure by pressing downward upon the handles 22, disengaging the surface areas of the various sections 28 to 38 inclusive from their previous frictional engagement with one another and causing them to telescope into one another with their lower edges 42 to 50 engaging the bottom 14 of the casing 12 while the handle blocks or brackets 20 rest in the notches 18 in the ends of the side walls 16 of the casing 12. The user then removes the wing nuts 78, reinstalls the retaining bar '76, shown in Figures 3 and 4, replaces the wing nuts 78 and the basket 10 is then in its collapsed, retained condition shown in Figures 3 and 4. In this condition, the basket 10 is conveniently stored away in a closet or stood against or hung upon a wall or otherwise stored in a very small space, such as is afforded to apartment dwellers or residents of small homes.

The modified handle unit, generally designated 80, shown in Figure 6 consists of a block 82 secured as by welding, riveting or any other suitablemanner to the outside of the uppermost basket section 38 adjacent its upper edge 62. The block 82 near its upper edge is provided with aligned coaxial sockets 84 in its opposite sides receiving the inwardly-turned ends 86 of an approximately C-shaped handle 88. The latter is made of such dimensions as to hang by gravity beneath the lower edge of the block 82. When the handle 88 is to be used, its lower portion is quickly and easily drawn upward in an are centered on the axis of the handle portions 86 into a position above the block 82, ready for use.

What I claim is:

A collapsible clothes basket comprising a base, a multiplicity of elongated continuous open-centered upwardlytlared side wall sections disposed in telescoping relationship relatively to one another, the lowermost of said sections being secured to said base, each of said sections having cross diameters adjacent its lower edge which are slightly smaller than the cross diameters adjacent the upper edge of the section immediately inside it, handles secured to the uppermost of said sections, and a casing having a bottom disposed beneath said side wall sections and extending laterally outward beyond the lower edge of the outermost side wall section in its collapsed position, the lower edges of all of said side wall sections being engageable with said bottom in their collapsed positions, said base being connected to said bottom, said casing having an upstanding side wall having a height at least as great as the height of the highest of said sections, said casing side wall being secured to said bottom outwardly of said sections in their collapsed telescoped positions, said handles projecting laterally into overhanging relationship with said casing side Wall, and the upper edge portion of said casing side wall having notches aligned with said handles and through which said handles project outwardly in the collapsed telescoped positions of said sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 558,535 Vivian Apr. 21, 1896 1,097,690 Ward May 26, 1914 1,647,210 Bryans Nov. 1, 1927 1,724,743 Allen Aug. 13, 1929 

